Healing Hope
by Shadowzamy
Summary: Alone in a void of loneliness Matamune wanders, thinking about his regrets in life and why he might be there. A short Matamune-centric story. Oneshot.


_Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king._

'_thoughts_'

"speech"

XxX

Four streetlights flashed red as the dark clouds loomed above, enveloping the forgotten intersection in a crimson glow. In the middle of the crossroad, abandoned by any form of kindred spirit, was a small kitten. It trembled from the icy breeze, yet warily glanced around, looking for somewhere to go. The rain from the previous night still drenched its pelt, weighing it down both body and heart.

Claws scraped against the wet concrete as it began walking down the blackened road. Jaded eyes searching for any sign of life. Its gaze momentarily shifted, looking down at its fragile paws. The streetlight's glare on the puddles around it reminded it of the blood which had once stained its claws. Its eyes widened in fear as it shook of the water and fled. Running away from the light, the dark clouds... the memories.

'_Please... please forgive me_.'

Its own heartbeat rang loud, drowning out the sound of thunder roaring overhead. It wanted to run away, escape the emotions causing it so much misery. There was not a single scratch on its body, yet it felt like it was covered in wounds, a cut torn into its skin for every scar imbedded on its heart. In its mind, it deserved this agony. It was punishment for the crime it had committed.

Tears formed in its eyes as it recalled the blissful memory of its friend's smiling face. How could it have left that person when he needed it most? How could it have betrayed its closest friend? If only it had stayed and tried to comfort him instead, then maybe he wouldn't have gone insane. Maybe he would still be alive.

For the first time since the cat had started running, it stopped to ponder where it could be. This place looked nothing like hell, yet it certainly wasn't the great spirit either. Perhaps it was simply stuck at a crossroad, a hopeless void between the two for all of eternity, forever searching for somewhere to go, yet never allowed to leave. What a cruel, yet strangely befitting fate for it.

A raindrop tickled its nose, warning it of the rainfall to come. It turned around and walked back to the intersection, ignoring the heavy water droplets hitting it's fur. Once it reached the middle of the intersection, it laid down on the cold cement and closed its eyes. Perhaps, if it was lucky, a car would come along and end this nightmare, sending it back to the real hell where it belonged. If not, then it would sleep for eternity.

The only thing it had to signify the passing days was the flickering streetlights and the ongoing rain. It had no idea how long it had been since it first closed its eyes, but it felt like years. The wind still seemed to laugh at its agony, the thunder cackled at its tears. '_My friend... I'm so sorry..._' The cat thought as it began to fade into a blissful unconsciousness.

"Nii-can! Come look!" A childish voice squealed, snapping the cat out of it's daze.

'_A... human? Why is it here?_'

"What are you dragging me out here for, Yoh?" Another voice responded.

'_That voice... familiar..._'

"See? There's a kitty lying on the road. It looks really sick though." Yoh said worriedly.

'_Sick? What is this human... talking about? I'm... dead, not sick..._'

"You're right. Come on, you go get a warm towel ready while I bring it inside." The familiar voice replied.

The cat shuddered as it felt two hands wrap around it's fragile body. It could faintly feel itself being lifted off the wet ground and then cradled in a warm embrace. A soft heartbeat resounded in its ears as the human began taking it somewhere. The soft heartbeat was strangely soothing, the more it listened to it, the calmer its thoughts became. The confusion, regret, pain, and sorrow were all drown out by that simple sound.

Something soft wrapped around it's body, taking away the water which once soaked its fur. As it let out a quiet mew to show it's happiness, something warm and rubbery pressed against it's lips. It took a hesitant lick to see what it was, letting out a delighted squeal upon registering it's once favorite drink : milk. One human began to bottle feed it while the other pet its head and lightly scratched behind its ears.

'_I... don't deserve this..._' The cat thought guiltily. '_Hell is what I deserve..._'

"No, it isn't." The other voice said in correspondence to its thoughts.

'_W-What?_' The cat thought in surprise.

"Nii-chan, what is the kitty thinking?" Yoh asked curiously.

"He thinks he deserves hell for what he's done, but if you ask me, I think he's been through enough already." The other voice replied.

"Can he stay with us?" Yoh asked eagerly.

"Of course." The other voice replied.

"Yay!" Came the overjoyed response. "I'm gonna go tell the others!"

A faint chuckle came from the older human as the quick footsteps of the younger could be heard leaving the room. The cat tilted his head slightly in confusion.

'_What?_'

"Well, Matamune, are you ready to go meet everyone now?"

Matamune's ears twitched at the sound of his name. That was impossible. Only his friend, the one who he'd betrayed 1,000 years ago, knew that name. For that person to still be alive was simply... Matamune shook his head before slowly opening his eyes and turning to face the human holding him. His eyes widened as he recognized the one before him.

"Hao-sama?" Matamune breathed.

Hao smiled lightly at his small feline friend. "Welcome back, Matamune."

XxX

Me: I wrote this fanfic in memory of my beloved cat, who went missing two years ago. I hope he found a happy home somewhere.


End file.
